About DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS)
DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS) is a legal benefit program of District Council 37, a New York City public employee union, and is run as a program of the union's Health and Security Plan. It gives free civil legal advice and representation to eligible DC 37 members and retirees residing in New York State, along with their dependents. MELS lawyers serve only eligible public sector members, and social workers are available to counsel members on personal and family issues connected to their cases. Covered matters include wills, powers of attorney and health care proxies, debt and bankruptcy matters above a dollar threshold, and landlord actions that could lead to eviction from a primary residence.
Family-related services include divorce and separation, custody and visitation, orders of protection, adoption and guardianship for eligible full-time members and retirees. The program also handles citizenship applications and purchases of primary residences, and it represents members at hearings before agencies such as NYCHA and Social Security. Criminal cases, business matters and personal injury tort claims are excluded. Coverage is limited to New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties under specified zip-code rules, and the program lists an office at 125 Barclay Street in Manhattan.
| Type | Nonprofit legal services |
|---|---|
| New York offices | New York City (125 Barclay Street, Manhattan) |
| Phone | (212) 815-1111 |
| Website | dc37.net |
| Registered NY attorneys | 38 |
Practice areas
Areas of work that DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS) describes on its own website. They describe the organization as a whole, not the practice of any individual attorney listed below.
Organization profile based on its official website and public sources (reviewed October 29, 2026). Attorney list from the New York State Unified Court System registration data. Not affiliated with DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS).
Registered attorneys
Steven Rinsler Currently registered Richard Cempa Currently registered Bennett Dressler Currently registered Amy Golen Suspended Elswith Ogaldez Currently registered Virginia Hardy Suspended Jennifer Cantrell Suspended Stephen Shepard Delinquent Elisabeth Riday Currently registered Linda Keller Currently registeredRegistration status can change at any time. Confirm any attorney's current status through the official New York Attorney Search.